Original Comment | Follow-up Comment

   After Clear Blue released its first album, I told the other band members that I would like to do a concept album of sort. This was a risky idea considering the last band I was in, Sunflowers, broke up around the time that we first started writing for a play/musical. This idea became a solo project of mine which I worked on from the time Clear Blue start recording its second album. In my mind, while we were still recording the tracks for "Titles" [Clear Blue] I was also thinking about how I could finish the tracks I had been recording on my own for "the Parallel". This created another parallel.

    The songs were not all geared toward the story line at the time of their creation. Instead, when I found that my life was paralleling one of my character's lives--in some way--I used that energy in my music writing. It soon became the task for me to take those songs and weave them into the storyline. Since many of the songs were not written directly for the characters, they still function outside of the context of the album, although, some tracks should not.

    Other interesting comparisons may be drawn from such coincidences like the intro having three distinct parts, as there are also three distinct characters. Each one functions alone, but also functions as part of the whole.

    When you release this type of album that involves a story line--you have to expect certain people to not understand it or appreciate it because it's not an album full of hits or singles. The conjunct nature of a concept album is different from the type of album that is released with certain singles in mind for radio play.

*The Parallel was officially released June 1st, 2003. Only a small quantity of CD's were actually pressed for close friends and family since this album was intended to be released over via the internet.

     Thank you if you downloaded this album and others on this site. I hope that it moved you and encouraged you. I am writing this follow-up comment to address some frequently asked questions I have been asked since this project was released a little over a month ago,

     Why a "solo" album? First off all, I am always writing music. If I'm not writing it, I'm playing it or listening to it, or talking about it. I wish more people, especially those in bands or ensembles, would read about the history of music, and not just rock music. I wish other musicians would be able to see the signs more clearly--they'd avoid downfall better if they knew what to look out for.

     I might not always be this way: one day I'll have a family to look after. I guess they probably wouldn't want me to spend 16 hours of the day in my room recording or practicing. I can live with that. I will say this: I won't wait for people to see what I see before I go after it. If someone wants to come with me then it's even better. As long as I have a stage, either in performances or on CD's or on the internet, I will always make my music accessible to the world. For now, I've been able to offer it for free. This album is an "internet album" only. When we press CD's I just try to break even. We've done well. Especially with titles because there was no studio time to pay for because, like this album, it came out of my room [V World Studios a.k.a. Piece of Trash Studios" :)].

     Truthfully, I just needed to get this out of my system (a phrase that appears on the cover of titles). I know the quality isn't that great--I did it in my room on the only equipment I have. I didn't even have a good mic--I used an SM58 for a lot of it. I also went direct with my guitar. I'm self-taught which means I read a lot of D.I.Y. (do it yourself) manuals on how to EQ. I just wanted to get this done. It needed to be born and start doing its job. Maybe one day some group will rerecord this with a female voice for Sara and a separate voice for Jack and James. Then they could do a polished up version of this album and set it to a movie or a cartoon.

     I've never relied on selling CD's to survive--God gives me ideas and I just work with them and listen to them. He, in turn, makes sure I'm covered. I certainly don't believe that "support the artist" lie. That's only true if you're a local artist like I am now. You don't support a commercial artist: you cover his label's costs. You're better off downloading his MP3's off the web and sending him $3 in the mail if you want to put your money in his pocket. In the future, some business reps might make me pull my MP3's off of my sites, but that's the same attitude that wants to hire a "producer" to "guide" my music. Could you imagine someone giving suggestions to Leonard Bernstein in a studio? I know: I'm no Leonard Bernstein. Not that I'm not open to suggestions--but let it be known: until the day I am forced otherwise, I will always arrange, direct and have the final say in my own music. That's how it's been up until this point.

    As far as the others in Clear Blue: they're not with me 24 hours a day. Last spring/summer, I begged them every single day to come over and record. That's why most of the tracks were done by myself entirely. I won't wait. When Clear Blue first started, I had certain objectives concerning the others in the band. I feel like I have more than met what I had in my heart to do, and they would probably agree that I haven't held back anything from them. Our relationship has changed and now we can actually play together like a band. I don't owe anyone or any being anything, and that's why, I think, the other guys in the band are alright with me doing as I see fit with what God gives me.

    There were three tracks on the first Clear Blue album that were just me. As soon as I figured out how to record on my own, I went right to work getting everything out of my head and recorded onto my computer. I started cleaning out my journals and music notebooks for lyrics and ideas. I took things I'd written down on napkins and tissues, gas receipts. Whatever. The second Clear Blue album, titles, had seven tracks on it that were just me. I assumed that future Clear Blue albums would be similar. Now, I released a solo project.

    I know, for myself, that I have certain time restraints. I only have a limited amount of time to do everything that God has placed inside of my heart and mind. It's true for all of me: where I play, what I write, this story and others to come. I like to get everything out of my system so that I can go do something else. Like writing some hardcore rap music. :)